Always a hit at Casa Big, try this simple but devastatingly good cake.
Mis en Place
(cake)
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups finely grated peeled carrots
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
(frosting)
1 1/2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tsp vanilla extract
Zest of one orange, finely chopped
(garnish)
1 cup chopped pistachios
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
Preparation:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl until well blended. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt; beat until blended. Stir in carrots and walnuts. Divide batter between pans.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 32 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 15 minutes. Run small knife between pan sides and cakes to loosen. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter.
Combine cream cheese, softened butter in mixer and cream at medium speed until homogonous, add orange zest and vanilla extract and mix at meduim 30 seconds. Stop mixer, add powdered sugar and mix at low for 20 seconds, then turn up to medium 20 seconds, then high for 1 minute. Place on cake on cake plate, spread 1 cup icing over it. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. Carefully garnish top and sides with the chopped pistachios and macadamia nuts. Refrigerate cake 1 hour or up to 1 day. Serve at room temperature.
Amazing how you can really doll up a cake if you have a pastry bag with a star tip on it...
Mis en Place
(cake)
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups finely grated peeled carrots
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
(frosting)
1 1/2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tsp vanilla extract
Zest of one orange, finely chopped
(garnish)
1 cup chopped pistachios
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
Preparation:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl until well blended. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt; beat until blended. Stir in carrots and walnuts. Divide batter between pans.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 32 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 15 minutes. Run small knife between pan sides and cakes to loosen. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter.
Combine cream cheese, softened butter in mixer and cream at medium speed until homogonous, add orange zest and vanilla extract and mix at meduim 30 seconds. Stop mixer, add powdered sugar and mix at low for 20 seconds, then turn up to medium 20 seconds, then high for 1 minute. Place on cake on cake plate, spread 1 cup icing over it. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. Carefully garnish top and sides with the chopped pistachios and macadamia nuts. Refrigerate cake 1 hour or up to 1 day. Serve at room temperature.
Amazing how you can really doll up a cake if you have a pastry bag with a star tip on it...
